Queen Street in the CBD might not spring to mind when you think of regional Chinese food, but it’s home to a restaurant that serves Sichuan and Hunan dishes – plus a little from neighbouring Hubei – to a rare standard.

Yabby noodles, a saucy signature, have reportedly been served over 100,000 times. Order them mala-style (heavy on the Sichuan peppercorn), Hunan-spicy (a straighter, hotter heat), or tossed with a blend of 13 spices. Zigong-style chilli beef is a fortissimo of Christmas-coloured chillies, pickled ginger, garlic and coriander.

If chilli isn’t your jam, you’re still in safe hands with canary-yellow fish soups wild with pickled cabbage and chicken broth. Ruby-red walls are covered with cartoon princesses from bygone dynasties, yellow and red lanterns hang overhead, aching Chinese ballads play. Red Cliff is a lot, but it’s also life-giving in its vitality.

Good to know: It’s packed every night: book ahead.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.